I would appreciate anyones views on the following

I have a 2001 Avensis diesel with a trip computer as a standard item. The average indicated mpg, over a tank of full, is consistantly indicating 13% better fuel consumption than it actually is. The "Range" left to run on the remaining fuel in the tank, is out in as much as I estimate that it would run out well before the range says zero, wheras the instruction book says that there should be fuel left when it indicates zero. The dealer has changed the computer display, only to make matters worse. Both he and Toyota now say that such errors are within the specification, but have failed to come up with a specification. Has anyone else had any experience with Avensis trip computers. Read more

My 1999 Xsara 5 door won't open one of the back doors. The button on the inside moves when you use the remote. I thought at first it may have been iced shut this morning, but that is now not a possibility.

When moving the locking button inside on the back door, the clicking noise sounds the same as the working door.

I have removed the door panel and cut away some of the plastic inside and can feel the rods from the locking button, inside door handle and the child lock switch entering into the lock, but cannot see very much. I do not have the time today to be removing the window runner in order to see more of the mechanism.

Has anybody had a similar problem with another Citroen or Peugeot?

Thanks in advance.
Ben Read more

Yesterday parked in an open-air Council car park. On leaving by the only exit I realised that I would have to traverse a heavy metal base plate with a row of raised teeth shaped rather like the Thames Barrier (the three centre teeth were down).
I gingerly started to cross, realised that the teeth did not seems to be depressing – the graunchy noise of metal on metal was a dead give away - and on the basis that I hadn’t reached the point of no return backed off ever so slowly into the car park.

I then parked in an area where I could see the silhouette of the next dozen or so cars exiting. Some cars just cleared the upright teeth; others scraped the entire underneath of their vehicles whilst lurching from side to side. The noise on some of the cars was horrendous.

Ho hum, I thought, now what Pondered, then made my escape by different means.

Subsequently phoned the Council Parking Department and explained the situation. I enquired if their Public Liability insurance was up to date as they may be heading for a number of damage claims. Concern was shown particularly when I suggested that metal teeth, ruptured petrol tanks and sparks was not a desirable scenario. Action was promised ‘this day’. I await the outcome.

One thing that puzzled me was what was the function of this contraption other than to rip one’s tyres to shreds if one entered the park by the exit. The lady in the Parking Dept. didn’t know either. Possibly it is a relic of a previous parking system.

Rita

Read more